Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca Launch Patient Trial For Alzheimer's Treatment

Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca announced the initiation of a late-stage trial for its treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The first patient was enrolled in the Amaranth study, to test the safety and efficacy of an oral beta secretase cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor knows as AZD3293/LY3314814. "We believe that BACE inhibitors have the potential to target one of the key drivers of this devastating disease," said Samantha Budd, head of translational science at AstraZeneca. "Together with Lilly, we have unique expertise that will allow us to evaluate the potential of AZD3293 as a treatment for Alzheimer's patients." AstraZeneca's stock gained 0.5% in premarket trade, while Eli Lilly shares were still inactive.